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And with four years’ worth of anger and agony and betrayal churning up his insides, he told the became indisputable They hadn’t known

They’d had no hand in what had been done to him

He’d lived for years poisoned by the belief that they’d brutally betrayed hi

Finally, a shell-shocked Haidar said, “Ya Ullah ya Rashid—you spent all these years thinking we did that to you? And we’re still in one piece?”

Jalal, see, too That you believed what you did, and only tried to destroy us in business, gives ht into your character You must be part saint”

Rashid couldn’t bear another word “I don’t care about what happened or who did it or why anymore I only care about Laylah”

Haidar approached him tentatively “But if you tell her what you just told us, she’d—”

“No” His shout went off like a gunshot “She will never hear anything about this I’ her back at this price”

Jalal approached fro his twin contain the volatile quantity that was Rashid “It h, Rashid”

“I said no And if you tell her, I will stop at nothing this ti my confidence”

Haidar ventured a hand on his shoulder “Settle doill you? We won’t say a thing” He squeezed his eyes “Ya Ullah—what I really want is to wipe everything you said fro coht have felt relief that the scar of losing them would heal, that he could have theer had Laylah there, nothing uish and regret gripping his face “I can’t tell you hoerless I feel that I can neither change the past nor punish the culprits But I will put this right if it takes the rest of my life You’re my other twin, Rashid, and I’ve beenbereft all these years without you I swear to you, we’ll e “That goes for ht, Rashid Whatto reunite you with her”

Everything hadn’t been enough

It had now been eighteen days in a hell worse than anything he’d known, sinking deeper in the quicksand of Laylah’s rejection

Aiven him quarters close to hers so he could “stalk” her, or they’d do a “pincer” on her, with everyone herding her toward him until she was forced to confront him

She didn’t She’d let them push her to within inches of him, only to pass him by as if he didn’t exist A punishressions and past avoidance Feeling nonexistent to her, no